Sessile Trichomes Play Major Roles in Prey Digestion and Absorption, While Stalked Trichomes Function in Prey Predation in Byblis guehoi.

ABSTRACT: Carnivorous plants in the genus Byblis obtain nutrients by secreting viscous glue drops and enzymes that trap and digest small organisms. Here, we used B. guehoi to test the long-held theory that different trichomes play different roles in carnivorous plants. In the leaves of B. guehoi, we observed a 1:2.5:14 ratio of long-stalked, short-stalked, and sessile trichomes. We demonstrated that the stalked trichomes play major roles in the production of glue droplets, while the sessile trichomes secrete digestive enzymes, namely proteases and phosphatases. In addition to absorbing digested small molecules via channels/transporters, several carnivorous plants employ a more efficient system: endocytosis of large protein molecules. By feeding B. guehoi fluorescein isoth

SUBMITTER: Li YX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10048915 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature